99th Foundation Newsletter #1 2011 Dec

99th Infantry Battalion
SEPARATE
Educational Foundation
Issue #1
December 2011
Members of the 99th honored with Norwegian
Defense Medal
by Hanne Marie Willoch
reprinted from the Norwegian
American Weekly - June 17, 2011
On Saturday, May 28, 2011, the
surviving members of the 99th
Infantry Battalion (Separate) of
the U.S. Army were awarded
Deltagermedaljen (the Norwegian World War II Defense
Medal) for their fight against the
German occupation of Norway.
The medal was awarded by the
Norwegian Chief of Defense,
General Harald Sunde, as a part
of his official visit to the United
States, during a ceremony at the
Royal Norwegian Embassy in
Washington, D.C.
(From Left) Sigvard G. Johnsen (D ), Hadley N. Jenson (HQ), Wilfred
Jacobsen (C ), Robert D. Chapman (D ) , and Lester W. Carlson (HQ)
Norwegian Chief of Defense General
Harald Sunde awards the Norwegian
World War II Defense Medal to Robert
(Bob) Snodgrass (A Co.) of Malta,
Ohio. The uniform Bob is wearing is
the same he used in the U.S. 99th
Infantry Battalion during the war.
The 99th is now the “99th Infantry Battalion Separate,
WWII, Educational Foundation” by Bill Hoffland, Foundation President
A few years ago, Jill Beatty, a
San Franciscan of Norwegian decent, originally from Minnesota,
met Harold and Harlan Hanson
who were telling the story of the
99th at the Hostfest in Minot,
N.D. (www.hostfest.com). The
next year Jill was the co-chair of
the Norway Day Festival in San
Francisco (www.Norwayday.org),
a celebration of all things Norwegian, and the largest Norwegian
cultural festival on the West
Coast, held every year since
1993. Jill hadn't forgotten the
Hansons' enthusiasm for the
99th, and she reached out to Bill
Hoffland, son of 99er Joseph
Hoffland (PFC HQ Company),
offering him and the 99th a
booth at the festival. Through
this initial meeting, Jill, a legal
secretary with a large law firm,
SNR Denton (cont’d next pg)
DONATIONS FOR
THE NEW 99TH
FOUNDATION
PLEASE MAIL YOUR TAX
DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO:
99th Treasurer - Tom Graves
400 Clipper St
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-550-7241
[email protected]
President - Bill Hoffland
6039 Geary Blvd,
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-751-5479
[email protected]
Vice President - Erik Wiborg
10 Oak Ridge Lane
Tequesta, FL 33469
561-346-5070
[email protected]
Secretary & Newsletter Editor
Harlan Hanson
3200 S Lincoln Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57105-5223
605-373-1205
[email protected]
Board Member - Bruce Bjorgum
2867 Shadow Drive
Rochester, MN 55904
507-288-2497
[email protected]
ALL DONATIONS
TO THE
‘99th Infantry
Battalion, WWII,
Educational
Foundation’
ARE TAX
DEDUCTIBLE
2
Board Member - J. Jarvis Taylor
7838 Dove Drive
Alexandria, VA 22306
703-360-3455
[email protected]
Newsletter Layout and Design
Kathie (Jenson) Varney
(206)384-5606
[email protected]
(www.snrdenton.com), urged the firm to
offer their services, pro bono, for the
incredible amount of paperwork necessary to incorporate the 99th into a 501 C
3 non-profit foundation. SNR Denton's
dedicated attorneys and law professionals spent countless hours filing papers
with the State of California and the IRS
to accurately complete this task, and the
Foundation was granted non-profit
status on October 20, 2011, effective
April 29, 2010. (Your donations since
the effective date are tax deductible.)
We owe a special thanks to Jill Beatty,
the late Gary Hernandez, one of the
firm's partners; attorney Angelo DeSantis, and the lead attorney, Libio Latimer,
who accomplished this complicated legal undertaking at no cost to the Foundation! What does the new non-profit
status mean to the 99th? The Foundation's tax exempt status allows us to solicit contributions from both individuals
and corporations in order to carry on the
mission of both preserving the history
of the 99th, and educating the public on
the role of the 99th Battalion and its
unique and special place in the history
of both the United States and Norway.
Contributions will be tax deductible for
the givers, whether individuals, businesses or corporations. The 99th Foundation will no longer be charging dues,
but will now ask you to donate what
you can afford, and what you would like
to contribute to help preserve the history
of the 99th. Please consider a legacy gift
in your estate planning, and remember
us now and in future giving to allow us
to carry on the important work honoring
the Battalion for the next generations.
For instance, generous contributions
from three corporations, shipbroker
Inge Steensland, AS; Kongsberg Defence Systems; and Det Norske Veritas
helped pay for the cost of veterans and
families to attend the Deltagermedaljen
Ceremonies in Washington D.C. and
Florida earlier this year. We owe these
three companies a tremendous debt of
gratitude for their support of the 99th!
And a big thank you goes to Foundation
Vice President Erik Wiborg, who was
instrumental in securing these donations. Mange Takk, Erik!! We have established goals of the Foundation for
the coming months and years: improving and adding interpretive and interactive displays at the Vesterheim Museum; improve and install a permanent
sign, and beautify the area around the
Memorial to the 99th at the Avenue of
the Norwegians, in Malmedy, Belgium.
We will also work to add a 99th display
at the new Malmedy museum (www.
baugnez44. be/News/index/language/
en/) where there is currently nothing on
the 99th. Work with our partners in Belgium and the Netherlands to dedicate
bridges, streets and other landmarks
where the 99th fought to honor the Battalion and units they were attached to.
We are working to assist historians, authors and filmmakers in their efforts to
research and tell the story of the 99th.
With input from educators, we want to
develop a curriculum and guide about
the 99th and have information and
booths at Norwegian festivals and
events throughout the country to tell the
story of the Battalion and introduce the
new Foundation. We are updating the
99th website and expanding and improving the newsletter, and creating an
online newsletter as well. This is an exciting time for the 99th! We are enthusiastic about taking on the tasks ahead
of us and are fortunate to have a group
of descendants as well as talented experienced businessmen and a 99th veteran on our Board of Directors, all dedicated to moving us into the future.
These include Bill Hoffland, 99th descendent, President; Erik Wiborg, Vice
President; Harlan Hanson, descendent,
Secretary; Tom Graves, Treasurer;
Bruce Bjorgum, descendent; Member
of the Board; Jarvis Taylor, Company
D, Member of the Board. You can help
by supporting the new Foundation with
your donations. Checks can be made
out to the ―99th Infantry Battalion
Separate, WWII, Educational Foundation,‖ and mailed to: Tom Graves, 400
Clipper St , San Francisco, CA 94114,
415-550-7241 [email protected].
All contributions are tax deductible.
Please send Tom any changes of address. We will soon have an online donation process for your convenience.
Visit www.99thinfantrybattalion.org,
for photos, articles, and the latest news
about the work of the 99th Foundation.
Merry Christmas and Mange Takk!
3
99er Hadley Jenson of Auburn, CA. & General
Harald Sunde, Chief of Defense Norway (CDN)
first get acquainted at the first of many wonderful
meals provided by our Norwegian hosts - seen
here at the Spy Museum in downtown D.C.
Young lads, honorary 99er Erik Wiborg, Hadley
Jenson (HQ), Foundation President Bill Hoffland
and Bob Hoffland enjoy seeing each other.
99er Alf M. Berg C Co.
of Eatontown, NJ
enjoying the festivities
99er Wilfred Jacobsen C Company & 99er
Robert Snodgrass A Company of Malta, OH
Lester Carlson (HQ) and Herbert
“Herb” Bjerke (C) share a laugh
4
99er Bill Burke medic of Mesa, AZ & your
newsletter publisher writer Harlan K. Hanson
99er Richard Lumpp (B), studying
Harlan’s laptop in the wonderful
meeting room at Key Bridge
Marriott, where we stayed
in first class style!
99ers Wilfred Jacobsen and Christian Brun both of
C Company, Hadley Jenson motor pool Tech.
Sergeant of HQ Company proudly showing a
painting honoring the 99th Ski Troops.
Painting was given the 99ers by historian
Dean Henney after he gave wonderful
presentation on the 99ths accomplishments
Nothing better than to look at
old pictures together with Sigvard "Sigge" Johnson (C),
Harlan Hanson (son of Harold
K. Hanson), Bruce Bjorgum
son of Robert Bjorgum (C),
Hadley Jenson (HQ) and
Robert Bjorgum (C).
5
Lt. Col. Erik Myroldhaug
He was in charge of contacting
and finding, with 99th organizations help, all living 99ers for
the Washington D.C. gathering
and medal ceremonies."
A group shot at the
Iwo Jima Marine Corps.
War Memorial
MG(r) Johan Brun
presents an award
to the administrator
of this event in
Washington, D.C.
6
Lester Carlson (HQ), Hadley Jenson (HQ), Robert
Bjorgum (C), Erik Wiborg and Richard Wesserling (A)
before lunch at the Army and Navy Club in downtown
Washington D.C.
Bust of King Harald V
as a boy on display in the
Norwegian Embassy.
Kransekake was served to the
delight of many at the Award
ceremony at the elegant
Norwegian Embassy.
Norwegian Chief of
Defense General Harald
Sunde awards the Norwegian World War II Defense
Medal to Lester Carlson
(HQ Company) at the
Norwegian Embassy.
The lovely Mrs.
Hojem, wife of
Col. Ole Martin
Hojem, honored us
by wearing her
traditional bunad
Norwegian attire.
7
Washington DC in front of the Norwegian Embassy ambassador's residence for photos after the
'Deltagermedaljen' or Norway's World War II Participant Medals were awarded to the fifteen 99ers
who were able to attend. (from left to right) 1) Technical Sgt Hadley Jensen HQ 2) Pfc Bill Burke A Co
Medic 3) Pfc Robert D. Chapman D Co 4)1st Lt. Robert Bjorgum C Co 5)Pfc. Richard A Lumpp B Co
6)Pfc Sigvard G. Johnson C Co 7)Tech Sgt T. Wilfred Jacobsen C Co 8)Pfc. Robert Snodgrass A Co
9)Chief of Defense Harald Sunde 10) Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strommen 11) Pfc. J. Jarvis Taylor D
Co 12) Pfc. Richard Wesserling A Co 13) 1st Lt. Lester Carlson HQ 14) Pfc. Theodor Pedersen HQ
15) Pfc. Christian Brun C Co 16) Pfc. Alf M. Berg C Co 17) Tech Sgt. Herbert Bjerke C
Sigvard G. Johnson (C)
and Admiral Gary
Roughhead, Chief of
Naval Operations,
US Navy
Erik Brun & his father
99er Christian Brun of
C Company
8
Alf M. Berg, C Company
Richard Lumpp, Sigg Johnson, Robert Bjorgum , Lester Carlson, Bill Burke, Hadley Jenson,
Robert Chapman, Robert Snodgrass, Jarvis Taylor, Wilfred Jacobsen, & Chris Brun
Technical
Sgt Hadley
Jenson HQ
reluctantly
sharing a
story.
Jarvis Taylor and Richard
Lumpp share an apparently
amusing story
‗Shoulder to Shoulder’ at Ft. Meyer.
Chief of Defense Harald Sunde
speaking with representatives from
all wars around the table.
9
Hadley Jenson and Robert Snodgrass shake
a few hands while Harlan looks like
he is holding the paparazzi back.
Placing the wreath
for Memorial Day
at the National
World War II
Memorial
Hadley Jenson , Col.
Ole Martin Hojem
and Robert Snodgrass
smile for the camera.
10
Hadley Jenson (HQ) shakes Chief of Defense Harald Sunde’s hand
while Robert Snodgrass (A) has a serious discussion with actor Gary
Sinise. These 99er’s sure do get around!
Memorial Day
concert on the
lawn of the
Capital...what a
sight to see!
Sunday National Memorial Day Concert as seen from the VIP
seats where 99ers sat.
Retired Major
General Johan
Brun and
Historian Dean
Henney
Kathie (Jenson) Varney, (daughter of 99er
Hadley Jenson (HQ)), at our final lunch at the Old
Ebbitt Grill with Col. Ole Martin Hojem. What a
profound experience for 99ers and their families.
Thank you does not say enough!
Mange Takk! Mange Tusen Takk!
An elegant lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, D.C.
11
A weeping goodbye
HISTORY
by ANCI C. TINDE
[email protected]
translated from the original
Norwegian using Google
translate
Theodor before
tank in Germany
Theodore Pedersen and his family emigrated from Sevland to
America in 1930. During the
world war he fought in the 99th
Infantry Battalion which only consisted
of soldiers of Norwegian descent.
(Before replacements) Recently he was
honored for his contribution during the
liberation.
- We left Karmoy when I was eleven
years of age. "I cried my heart out"
when the parents mine said we should
move to America, recalls 92-year-old
Theodor Pedersen, who now lives with
his wife Ethel in Mattapoisett, Mass.
Spanish flu Theodore Pedersen spent
his first years of life on Sevland. The
parents were Gunnar Pedersen born
1894 in Kvilhaug Deceit and Ratings
Serina His Daughter born 1896..
12
at that time, emigrated to America.
I think we emigrated to America in Because of bad times in Norway at the
time. It was not so good here either, but
it was better than in Norway.
Fisherman in Brooklyn The first stop
for the Pedersens was New York City.
- We came by boat to New York and
lived in Brooklyn for eight years. My
father worked as a fisherman. When the
fleet left New York for the benefit of
New Bedford (city in the state Massachusetts journ.anm.) We followed for,
says Pedersen, who started his career
in a department store.
- I ceased to be a scallop fisherman like
my father. His father Gunnar Pedersen
went down and perished in a storm.
- Never seen a ski In 1942, the year that
Pedersen was called to military service,
issued the U.S. War Department an order to organize a battalion of Norwegian citizens to serve as part of the U.S.
Army. Battalion should be renamed
99thInfantry Battalion (Separate) and
was founded on Camp Ripley, Minnesota on 19 July 1942. This unique elite
unit would consist only Norwegians
and Americans of direct Norwegian descent. To be selected for unit had to soldier to Norwegian. Soldiers who could
ski was also preferred.
- My grandparents had a farm and we
lived a few miles away. Many people
died of flu (Spanish flu) around 1918 20. My mother moved to the farm to
grandfather when she was pregnant.
There was namely, no influenza infection. She lived there until I was born,
- I was put in service in the 99th. It was
says Pedersen. It was in 1930 that
because I had a Norwegian name that
Theodore Pedersen, His parents and
they placed me in a ski troop. In Norsister, Anne Sofie, like with many others
wegian I had the thought to be born
with skis on. The truth was that I never
had seen a ski before I came into the
battalion and of all the men there was
only 14 that could go skiing, he laughs.
Battalion would consist of a mixture of
infantry and parachute and mountaineering specialists.
Training at Camp Hale The shoulder
patch was a Viking ship with sails in
the Norwegian national colors and
American colors which are the same].
In Europe After basic training at
Camp Ripley was the 950 soldiers special education at Camp Hale, Colorado.
It is believed by American officials that
unit had the best winter warfare training ever given in the U.S. the army.
[1,001 at full strength]
- We trained at Camp Hale. I was in
Headquarters Company and I drove
truck. The unit was formed with a possible invasion and the liberation of
Norway in mind, but when they first
went out to battle, it was in France.
September 1943, we headed to England. 21. June 1944 around two weeks
after D-Day, we were put ashore in
France. There after, we were in combat
in Belgium and Germany.
Finally, Norway 99th in Norway's liberty parade celebration on Karl Johansgate marching toward Royal Castle. It
was only after the war that Pedersen's
part of the battalion came to Norway.
- We were sent to Norway in the early
June 1945. We had several tasks, but I
remember well when the king came
home. When was the parade and the
big party. In Norway, the
battalion helped bring the
traitors and war criminals
to justice and remove just
under 400,000 German
troops at the end of the
war were stationed
around the in the country.
Pedersen recalled the
efforts to carry prisoners
of war.
- There were many Russian prisoners
of war in Norway. We helped get them
back the Soviet Union. I drove many
German POWs in the truck.
Theodor Pedersen
In October the soldiers were sent back
to The United States. Over 50 men returned home with a Norwegian wife.
The battalion was disbanded shortly
after that.
Received the Medal 28th of May, the
48 surviving members of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) awarded the
medal for his efforts the liberation of
Norway during World War II. The
medal was awarded by the Norwegian
Chief of Defense, General Harald
Sunde, during a ceremony at the Norwegian Embassy in Wash, DC.
During the 101 days the battalion took
part in combat, members earned a of
total of 15 Silver Stars, 20 Bronze
Stars, 307 Purple Hearts and 817 Combat Infantry Badges.
13
„Viking‟ honored
Johnstown resident given medal
Aug. 14, 2011
by Rodney
Minor,
The Leader
Herald
Johnstown,
New York
14
It has been more
than 60 years since
World War II ended,
but Donald A. Curtis
recently received a
special honor for his
service during and
after the conflict.
Curtis was presented
with a medal and a citation. However,
it was not from the U.S. government.
Col. Ole Martin Hojem, with the Norwegian Army and an attache with The
Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, presented Curtis on July 4 with
the Norwegian Medal of Merit and a
citation signed by King Harald V. "It
was an honor," Curtis said. "I'm proud
of my service."
Curtis was being honored by Norway
because during the war he served with
the U.S. Army's 99th Infantry Battalion
(Sep). According to the Minnesota
National Guard website (Minnesotanationalguard.org) - the United States
realized early in World War II it would
need special units with the linguistic
and cultural background to conduct
operations in Japanese or Germanoccupied territory. At that time,
Norway was occupied by Germany.
'Vikings' formed on July 10, 1942, the
order went out to form the battalion.
Men who could speak Norwegian were
sought after, particularly those born in
Norway, the website said.
Curtis said the battalion, nicknamed
the "Vikings," was formed almost entirely by men of Norwegian citizenship
or direct-descendants or Norwegian
immigrants. They were being trained
to be the lead force for an invasion to
free Norway from occupation.
Oddly, Curtis - who served for three
years with the 99th Batt., 10th Mountain Division, as a lead scout for C
Company - was one of only three men
in the battalion who was not of
Norwegian descent. He did not speak
the language. The average age of the
battalion was 33, he was just 18. To
this day, he is not sure exactly why he
ended up with the 99th battalion. When
he was 18, Curtis had enlisted in the
Army, where he was given the choice
of service. Having grown up near the
Adirondacks, Curtis said, he could ski.
So he chose mountain infantry.
"That way I could utilize what I could
do," Curtis said. After his basic training was complete, Curtis was shipped
in March 1943 to Camp Hale in
Colorado. Curtis said there were 27
other men from Fulton County in the
10th Mountain Division, but he was
the only one assigned to the 99th. According to the Minnesota National
Guard website, the training at Camp,
Hale was not easy. While carrying
equipment weighing up to 90 pounds
they worked on skiing, snowshoeing
and winter survival skills. In spring, it
was extensive rock-climbing training.
Curtis recalled arriving at Camp Hale
weighing 174 pounds. A month later, he
weighed 147. "[The training] was intense," he said. In war The unit, which
had about 1,000 men, eventually was
ordered to France, landing at Omaha
Beach in Normandy on June 21, 1944.
According to the website, the battalion
would participate in five battle campaigns before the war ended on May 8,
1945: Normandy, Northern France,
Rhineland, Ardennes and Central
Europe. The battalion had 101 days in
combat, suffered 52 men killed, 207
wounded and six missing.
Curtis found throughout these campaigns his differences from the other
men were quite useful. For example,
while Curtis could not speak Norwegian,
he knew French. While fighting in
France and Belgium, he was frequently
called upon to talk to civilians when the
battalion needed information.
"[The 99th battalion] was a great fighting unit," Curtis said. "They never gave
an inch anywhere." However, the end of
the war did not bring an end to the battalion. The battalion went to Oslo, Norway, after the war for six months, helping the government - which had been in
exile since the German occupation return to leadership. Curtis, a private
first class, was one of 60 U.S. soldiers
chosen to be in the Honor Guard when
King Haakon VII returned to Norway.
He also met his future wife, Gerd,
while in Norway.
They were married July 26, 1947, at
the Presbyterian Church in Johnstown.
They raised a family together, along
with a summer retreat at West Stoner
Lake. It was there
Curtis, with Gerd at
his side, received
the Norwegian
Medal of Merit.
Hojem said part of
the reason the story
of the battalion is
not better known in Norway may be
the fact people were so happy the war
was over. Many people just wanted to
move on with their lives.
However, in the late 1980s, the Norwegian government was made aware of
the battalion's unique composition and
contribution to the war effort.
So while it took some time, Hojem
said, it has been his "great honor" to
present these medals to a number of
battalion members.
To see how proud the veterans are of
their service, and hear the stories about
what they did to help win the war,
Hojem said, "It has touched me."
“Those were the
greatest six
months of my
life," Curtis
said about his
time in Oslo.
Curtis said he
was like any
other member
of the battalion:
He joined to
protect his
country and
fight the
Germans.
15
Special Forces, and Heroes
By Bjarne Jacobsen's son Bruce Jacobsen
But, she later
said, that until
she put her
arms around
him and gave
him a tearful
hug as he came
through the
door after the
war was over,
she was never
really sure he
was alive.
16
Would I be wrong if I said most
every kid thinks his Dad is a hero?
To me, my Dad was always a hero
in the rules he set down for me to
live by, and by example, he
showed me how to live life. But, it
seems like I always knew he was a
hero in other ways, too. As a
young boy he helped support his family through the Depression by selling
donuts to the troops at Camp Grant.
And he was a competitive athletic ski
jumper, and a skilled soccer player
drafted by a professional team in
Chicago, until another draft notice arrived the next week, and the U.S.
Army claimed him.
He served in a specialized Battalion,
the 99th Infantry Battalion, (Separate),
later part of the 474th Regimental
Combat Team. The 99th was created
as a result of a meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill, and the possible
need to invade German occupied Norway. Each 99th soldier had to be an
expert skier and be able to speak Norwegian like a native.
As a kid, I had heard conversations
between my Dad and his brothers, but
their stories pretty much ended with
the invasion of Normandy. But the
war didn't end for him with the surrender. It has stayed with him to this
day-something he just wants to leave
far away and forgotten and not spoken about. But, he has sons who
question him. They read military
history books and realize they are
feeling like they were there, but wait,
there are threads of memories of bits
and pieces of stories they heard their
father tell. He was there, not them.
The battles are still fought hand to
hand in his nightmares. More so after
questioning by a son, or an author
calling from Norway to ask "just a
few more questions."
My grandmother had saved a box of
medals sent to her along with a letter
from my father's commanding officer.
There was quite the assortment that as
a 5-year-old, I didn't fully understand
as I looked through them, but they
made quite the impression. Grandma
was told Dad was gone, and everyone
Paratrooper and glider infantry was
who was gone at that time was
tough, but the high altitude mountain
training at Camp Hale proved extreme. considered dead. She replaced the
Blue Star with a Gold Star hanging in
President Roosevelt personally inthe window with the other blue ones
spected those who completed the
representing her sons in the service.
rigorous mountain training on Easter
But, with movement of the fighting
Sunday 1943.
lines, and individual effort, my father,
a POW, was recovered alive, and the
Blue Star went back up in the window.
But, Grandma later said, that until she
put her arms around him and gave him
a tearful hug as he came through the
door after the war was over, she was
never really sure he was alive.
of recognition from the Chief of
Norwegian Defense, and a letter of
acknowledgment from the King of
Norway. The embassy representative,
Colonel Ole M. Hojem, assured everyone, this was the real deal!
As you watch the John Wayne movie,
"The Green Berets", have you ever
wondered why a number of the soldiers
Now to more recent times. The Govdisplaying their weapons and
ernment of Norway decided Dad
explaining their skills at the press presdeserved another medal, but he didn't
entation, speak Norwegian? Well,
feel the need for one as much as they
somebody had to train them in the
wanted to give it to him. They sent
him a special invitation from Norway beginning! The Green Berets' first
to attend a grand ceremony at the Nor- trainers were, like Dad, highly trained
wegian Embassy in Washington, D.C., veterans of the 99th Infantry
Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to the
99th Foundation, it would be an allexpense-paid trip for him and an escort. Besides a banquet and the medal
presentation ceremony, he was to be a
guest of honor at the Capital Concert
and the Memorial Day ceremonies at
the National WW II Memorial where
he would be asked to stand and be introduced. But at age 90 he decided not
to join the dozen or so other 99ers who
attended the event that was extensively
covered by the Norwegian media.
Sunday June 26, 2011, at a family
gathering in Aurora, Illinois, that
included cousin Kay Nilsen, who had
arrived from Norway with his wife
Ann Helen, and able to assist with the
ceremony, Dad finally got the medal,
the Deltagermedaljen, a certificate
Bjarne & his
family; sons,
daughters,
daughter-in-law,
grand-daughters
& award presenter his cousin
Sons Bruce,
Brent & 99er
Bjarne, (jackets
reversed on my
insistence - your
editor)
17
Norway honors Humble's
WWII service
By Ron Witt
excerpts
from the
Tri-County
Record
Rushford,
Minn.
Photo
provided
by David
U‟Ren
When you're
91 years old
and living in
a nursing
home, it
isn't often
that someone drops by
to present
you a medal
for past
good works.
18
FORMER INFANTRYMAN Jim
Humble (B Co.) has a
medal pinned on him
by the Col. Ole Martin Hojem, Assistant
Defense Attache at
the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Humble, 91, received the
award for his efforts in helping liberate
Norway and Europe from the Nazis in
World War II.
cate of appreciation for his service in
the liberation of Europe and Norway.
It is signed by King Harald.
But that's kind of the way things happened for Rushford Army veteran Jim
Humble at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Home (GSLH) in the afternoon of
Wednesday, June 15.
paign medals, and others.
Making a trip to Rushford to present
Humble with the special award was
Col. Ole Martin Hojem, the Assistant
Defense Attache at the Norwegian
Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Jim Humble lived in Bratsberg in his
early years, then moved to Rushford.
He graduated from Rushford High
School in 1938. He met his future
wife, Greta, while he was in Norway.
Humble had fought in World War II as
a member of the Norwegian-American
Ski-Troops, 99th Infantry Battalion
(Separate), helping liberate Europe before he was wounded in the famed
Battle of the Bulge in Malmedy, Belgium, on Dec. 29, 1944. In addition to
the medal, Humble received a certifi-
After the war, Jim worked with Carl
Bybee Sr. and Jr. in the heating and
ventilation business. Later, he was employed in construction of the Distant
Early Warning (DEW Line) defense
system. In ‗69, Jim started Humble
Manufacturing, which made wood
burning ovens.
His service in the Army began with his
draft in 1941 and included training of
Americans of Norwegian descent and
Norwegians at Camp Hale in Colorado
in 1942. Humble, a combat infantryman, landed in the Allied invasion of
Normandy, France, shortly after DDay (June 6, 1944) and subsequently
saw action in France, the Netherlands,
When you're 91 years old and living in and far western Germany.
a nursing home, it isn't often that
Humble's award is by no means his
someone drops by to present you a
first. He also received a Purple Heart,
medal for past good works.
Bronze Star, several European CamOn hand for the ceremony, held in the
GSLH lobby, were Jim Humble's sons,
Lee and Doug, along with other family
members and friends.
VERO BEACH -Sixty-six years after
the end of World War II, John Winters,
88, a retired insurance company president, received a medal for his service
from the government of Norway.
Jostein Mykletun, Consul General of
Norway, came to make the presentation
of the Norwegian Defense Medal that
had been authorized for the 99th Infantry Battalion (sep.) members in 1945,
but somehow never presented.
"Norway thanks you for your service,"
Mykletun told Winters, as he pinned
the pendant on the veteran's jacket before his wife, Jane, in their home on St.
James Lane on Friday. Also watching
was Mykletun's wife, Sonia, and Erik
Wiborg of Tequesta.
was sent to Europe as a replacement.
Eventually, he was assigned to the 99th
Infantry Battalion (Sep), which had
been organized to liberate Norway. Its
members had taken part in raids inside
Norway with the Office of Strategic
Services, but then the unit was sent into
Normandy after D-Day, seeing its first
combat in the attack on Cherbourg.
Winters joined the 99th in Belgium,
just in time to take part in the Battle of
the Bulge. At the request of the Norwegian king, there was no invasion of
Norway by any of the Allies.
The unit would go
there at the end of the
war to disarm German
soldiers and send them
home. Winters was
Wiborg's research into the special unit
brought about the presentation to Win- visibly moved by the
medal presentation
ter and four other 99th vets in Fort
Lauderdale. Other survivors of the unit Friday evening, although he said the war
across the country received their medwas so long ago, he
als in Washington, D.C., last month;
had forgotten much of
Winters was unable to attend.
it. His awards include
Born in Quincy, Ill., in 1922, he was in
the Combat Infantry Badge, the Vichis junior year of college when he quit
tory Medal and European Theater of
and enlisted in the Army in January
Operations medal. After leaving active
1942. Because of his placement as a
duty, Winters returned to the Univ. of
junior in the Reserve Officer Corps, he
Mich. earning a liberal arts degree,
was sent to Infantry Officer Candidate
then joined the family insurance busiSchool at Fort Benning, Ga. He was
ness. He retired as president of the
retained as an instructor at the school,
company in 1984. He has had a home
but then the war intensified and Winters
in Vero Beach since 1973.
Vero Beach veteran receives medal
from Norwegian government
John Winters,
age 89,
passed away
at his home
on Thursday,
Oct 27, 2011.
"It was a
wonderful
ceremony,"
said Jane
Winters, "I'm
so proud I
almost cried."
Article by Joe
Crankshaw of
TREASURE
COAST
NEWSPAPERS
19
99er Bennie Moland Receives
Medal 66 years Later
Moland is one of just 44 living members of the 99th Infantry Battalion
whoserved not just in Norway but
also France, Belgium and Germany
during World War II. The medal,
though, tells only part of the story.
Moland told the rest.
From the
Estherville
Daily News.
All rights
reserved.
Moland grew up in Rochester, Minn.
Like a lot of kids of Norwegian ancestry, he was born with skis on his
feet, and he skied the hills of southeastern Minnesota and La Crosse,
Wis. Moland was drafted in 1941 before Pearl Harbor and the war. AfAbout two weeks ago, Bennie Moter basic at Camp Claiborne, La., he
land (A Company), 94, of Estherville was at a dance at the Plamore Ballhad a knock at the door. When he
room in Rochester when he met a girl
went to answer it, there stood Col.
named Dorothy. Bennie was a soldier.
Ole Martin Hojem, assistant defense
A soldier home on leave. A soldier
attaché from the Norwegian embassy home on leave in uniform. And we all
in Washington, D.C. Hojem had a
know that's all it takes to get the girls.
folder in his hand and a medal, a
―He was in uniform. I was the wallmedal that Moland should have reflower," said Dorothy, now his wife
ceived 66 years ago, but didn't.
of 63 years. So they courted. Dated.
Moland looked curiously at the medal Fell in love.
then at the folder with a document
Then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harfrom Harald Sunde, General Chief of bor. It was while the Japanese were
Defense for Norway, thanking Mobusy strafing and bombing the Pacific
land "for his contribution to the Nor- fleet that the Germans were occupywegian nation during World War II."
ing Norway where they were using
20
The years fell away like the distant,
rolling ocean from a fjord. Moland
thanked Hojem and as soon as he was
gone he thought about the medal. He
thought about it a lot.
heavy water in their race to build the
atomic bomb. Since the Allies well
knew the strategic importance of Germany's atomic weapon research, they
realized they needed to put a force on
the ground to deal with them. So they
started recruiting men of Norwegian
ancestry. And in Minnesota, where in
many communities Norwegian was
often spoken more frequently than
English, there were lots of recruits.
to Norway June 1945 to disarm the
German occupying force.
The 99th infantry Battalion (Separate)
was activated at Camp Ripley, Minn.
on July 19, 1942, as per written instructions by the War Department.
This unique elite unit was to consist
only of Norwegians and Americans
with direct Norwegian descent. Soldiers picked out for this elite unit had
to have a working knowledge of the
Norwegian language and preferably
already knew how to ski.
While in Norway, Moland ran into his
own and his neighbors' relatives. He
also met members of the Norwegian
resistance, a group that played a key
role in keeping the Germans from developing the bomb before the U.S.
The 99th went to Camp Hale, Colo.
to train with the 10th Mountain Division that later broke the German defensive line in the mountains of Italy.
It was at Camp Hale where Moland
joined up with the 99th.
Moland and the 99th landed on the
shores of France on D-plus 14. As a
motor pool mechanic, it was Moland's job to make sure the jeeps,
trucks, weapons carriers and armored
cars were all squared away. The 99th
slugged its way through France then
Germany where they were warned
not to talk to the people. "We were in
the Battle of the Bulge," said Moland.
From there it was on to Belgium then
Norway. While V-E Day was May 9,
1945, the 99th was incorporated into
the 474th Infantry Regiment and sent
"We got rid of all the swastikas up
there," Moland said. "We finished up
the hostilities there. They were still
under the German rule."
The Molands were married after the
war, in 1948. Three sons followed Michael, Paul and Leslie.
The Molands have attended a number
of 99th reunions throughout Minnesota over the years. They also took a
trip to Norway on their 25th anniversary and also traveled to Hawaii
twice, Australia, New Zealand and to
eastern Canada, Dorothy's favorite.
Bennie lost friends in the war, and
there was a close call with mortar
rounds a time or two, but he made it
through four and a half years in the
Army in one piece.
Somehow, though, that visit a couple
weeks ago and the medal he received
sort of rounded everything out, made
more sense of everything maybe.
"So he's got something to be proud
of," said Dorothy. "Maybe it is late
but they woke up to the fact of what
he did."
21
99er Lt. Thomas Skattum getting his
Medal and certificates by King Harald
& Chief of Defense Harald Sunde, presented by Col. Ole M. Hojem.
Barney Dragland's wife, receives his
medal & certificates. Barney (Bjarne)
Dragland passed away in April of 2011.
99er Kenneth R. Thompson
getting his medal & certificates
from Col. Ole M. Hojem.
22
99er Howard Winholtz
(D Company) who lives
in Rochester, MN. and
Col. Ole M. Hojem
Arne O. Samuelsen
with Col. Ole M. Hojem
after receiving his
medal and certificate.
Lloyd M. Jelleberg with his Medal,
99th jacket & US Army Ski pin.
99er Martin Solheim who lives in Eagle
Grove, Iowa & Col. Ole Martin Hojem.
23
Wilfred Jacobsen C Co., Ove Bjellend A Co.,
Bjarne Kvingedal HQ Co., and Olen Palmer A Co.
Wife and daughter of
99er Luverne Ostby who
died this year, accept his
medal & certificates from
Col. Ole M. Hojem.
On Sat. July 9, 2011 three Florida 99ers were awarded
their Norwegian World War II Defense Medal on board
the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship “Oasis of the Seas”.
The medals were awarded by Consul General of
Norway, Dr. Jostein Mykletun.
Villager awarded medal for special
service to Norway during WWII
Olen Palmer didn‘t plan to
join the Army during WW
II. His goal was to enlist in
the Navy after he received
his draft notice, but it didn‘t
work out that way due to
the timing of the beginning
of basic training and his
wife‘s pregnancy.
Saturday, July
23, 2011
8:00am By
PATRICIA
STEELE,
DAILY SUN
24
While in the Army, Palmer served for
a short time with the 99th Infantry
Battalion (Sep); for this service he
was awarded a medal and citation
signed by King Harald V of Norway.
Erik Wiborg, organizer of the
presentation and the nonprofit 99th
Infantry Battalion (Sep) WW II
Educational Foundation, made it his
mission to assure that all the surviving
members of the 99th were recognized
for their service to Norway. For health
reasons, Palmer was unable to attend
the May 28 ceremony in Washington,
D.C., so Wiborg arranged a ceremony
July 9 for Palmer and three other
99ers living in Florida: Wilfred
Jacobsen of Zellwood, Bjarne
Kvingedal of Fort Lauderdale, and
Ove Bjelland of Naples.
The men were presented the
Norwegian WW II Defense Medal on
board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship
Oasis of the Seas by Norway Consul
General Dr. Jostein Mykletun.
Wiborg has been spearheading the
effort to get the 99ers awarded the
Norwegian World War 2 Defense
Medal, and the honor was formally
approved by the Norwegian
government in January.
He experienced many near misses in
the short time he was with the 99th
Infantry Battalion as the battalion
scoured the woods of France and
Germany looking for German
soldiers.
"I was a patriot,"
―Erik was just wonderful in making
all these arrangements,‖ Olen‘s wife
Helen said. ―Olen really wanted to
attend the ceremony in Washington,
DC but he has vision and hearing
problems. It just wasn‘t going to
work.‖
Often he was caught with fellow
members of Company A in the
crossfire of the Allies and the Nazis,
sometimes they were caught in
friendly fire. He remembers his
capture by the Germans and escape
during a barrage of mortar fire.
medal that he
To make sure Olen was able to attend
the alternative event near Miami,
Wiborg sent a driver to pick Olen up
and take him to the ship, then drive
him home later that day, Helen said.
And he remembers the smells of
home and memories it invoked the
first time he walked through the
doors for his assignment with the
Army‘s mobile bakery.
Olen was impressed and grateful for
the event. ―The ship was beautiful, it‘s
new, and the food was delicious and
everyone was so gracious to us,‖ Olen
said. ―It was such an honor to be
recognized even though I had a small
part with the 99th.‖
Olen shared his memories and photo
-graphs during the past few months
with Wiborg and Bill Hoffland for
the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep)
WW2 Educational Foundation.
Wiborg and Hoffland, both of whom
are of Norwegian descent are
recording the stories and
photographs of men who served in
the 99th Infantry Battalion. Their
goal, in addition to having surviving
members of the battalion recognized
for their service, is to record the
history of the battalion.
The unit of Norwegian nationals was
created by the Army in 1942 as part of
plans for a potential invasion and
liberation of then-occupied Norway.
As it turned out, the unit saw combat
every-where but Norway before being
sent there in June 1945 to disarm the
defeated German forces.
Olen never made it to Norway. In fact,
his time with Company A, as a nonNorwegian national replacement, was
relatively brief — only a few weeks.
he said. "I'm a
patriot [still]."
Olen Palmer of
the Village of
Country Club
Hills holds the
recently received
for his service to
Norway during
World War II.
The photograph
was made on
Friday, July 15,
2011. Photo by
Peter Travers,
Daily Sun
25
UPDATE on Long Awaited Book on the
99th Infantry Battalion (Sep)
Antoni Pisani the 99th's great
friend and author in Norway has
announced that the manuscript for
his book on the 99th will be going
to his publisher in February
2012. Antoni Pisani has spoken
with and interviewed nearly all
living 99er since contacting the 99th
roughly five or six years ago or more.
He has spent many, many hours on
the phone with all 99er willing to
share their memories and stories.
Many he spoke with and interviewed
have like my father Harold K. Han-
26
son have died. The book will be the
most complete and detailed story of
the 99th that has been published. Antoni will notify us when the book
goes to print and we will put it in the
newsletter. (Your 99th newsletter editor/publisher Harlan K. Hanson is, as
are many of you, looking forward to
reading this book .) Antoni has asked
if any of the living 99ers want to read
his final draft before it is printed,
with photos, maps etc. Contact Antoni at Antoni Pisani (JPR AS) email:
[email protected].
Example of certificates received by each 99er; these are Robert Bjorgums.
Local man to dine with King
and Queen of Norway
It‘s going to be a busy Oct. 16 for
Robert Bjorgum. On that day,
Bjorgum, 92, — who served with the
Minnesota-famed 99th Battalion of the
U.S. Army in World War II — will
have dinner with the King and Queen
of Norway in Minneapolis. After that,
he will be whisked to Gov. Mark
Dayton‘s residence in St. Paul to
attend a reception in honor of the King
Harald V and Queen Sonja‘s arrival.
The Faribault resident doesn‘t know
how close he‘ll get to the royalty, nor
exactly how many people will be
there. But he‘s excited to be a part of
something so quintessentially
Norwegian.
―I‘ll probably freeze up,‖ he said,
chuckling at the idea of asking the
King or Queen a question.
―Norwegians honor them greatly. It‘s
going to be a great experience.‖
The invitation comes after he and 17
living members of the 99th Battalion
over the Memorial Day weekend were
awarded the Deltagermedaljen, or
defense medal from the Norwegian
government, for their role in fighting
against the German occupation of
Norway during World War II.
The unit was famed because a vast
majority of the Battalion was of direct
Norwegian descent — or actual
Norwegians that escaped and enlisted,
according to a 2007 volume of
Vesterheim, a publication of the
Norwegian-American Museum. Many
of the soldiers in the unit were from
Minnesota.
Part of the ceremony in May included
placing a wreath for the 99th Batallion
on the World War II Memorial in
Washington, D.C. Bjorgum was
awarded that honor along with another
member of the 99th.
―It was so darned hot they got us in
wheelchairs,‖ Bjorgum said.
While he didn‘t expect to get the
invitation for dinner with the King and
Queen, he said the medal ceremony for
the 99th Battalion made newspapers in
Norway — and showed his picture in
the paper Karmoybladet.
He said he‘ll be wearing
his Deltagermedaljen at
the dinner. The King and
Queen‘s visit stretches
between Oct. 12 and Oct.
18, with stops at St. Olaf
College, the Mayo Clinic
and Enger Park in Duluth,
according to the
Norwegian Embassy in
Minneapolis.
Submitted by
Faribault Daily
News on Wed,
10/05/2011
by Joseph
Lindberg,
jlindberg@
faribault.com
“It’s going to be
a whole new
experience for
me,” he said
while sifting
through
invitations he
received in late
July and
August.
27
28
On behalf of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep.) we send our deepest condolences to the families & friends of the dear 99th soldiers or family members
listed below, who’s DEATHs were reported since the last Newsletter. With
their last breath those we love do not say goodbye, for love is timeless. Instead, they leave us a solemn promise that when they are finally at rest in
God, they will continue to be present to us whenever they are called upon.
Let us fear not, nor grieve, beyond letting go, the departure of those we have
greatly loved, for in the Tree of our Lord’s Life their roots and ours are forever intertwined.
Fern enjoyed being with her family,
cooking, playing cards with friends.
And attending Army reunions with
Fern
Owen. She was an active member of
(Lundberg)
Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead,
Voxland, 86,
for over sixty years. She was a memMoorhead, MN,
ber of the American Legion Auxiliary,
died Tuesday,
the 99th Infantry Battalion Separate
May 31,2011,
Auxiliary, and the Swedish Heritage
surrounded by her family in the PalSociety. Fern was known for her carliative Care unit of Sanford Health,
ing and generosity towards others.
Fargo, ND. A Memorial Service will
Fern will be remembered by her fambe held Saturday, June 4, 2011, at
ily and friends for her great sense of10:30 AM at Trinity Lutheran
humor and her heroic spirit in coping
Church, Moorhead.
with rheumatoid arthritis for more
Fern Adele Lundberg was born June than fifty years.
26, 1924, to Charlie and Alma
Fern is survived by her three children:
(Johnson) Lundberg in Westbury,
son, Mark (Donna), Moorhead,
MN. She grew up in the Detroit
JaneVoxland, Owatonna, MN, and
Lakes, MN, area and graduated from
Nancy (Ron) Bock, Arvada, CO; six
Detroit Lakes High School in 1942.
grandchildren,
Following graduation, she attended
business college and worked for the Nathan (Janeen) Voxland, Joel (Tina)
Veterans Administration in Fargo for Voxland, Rachel (John) Simonson,
Leah Bock, Kirsten Bock, and Daniel
several years. On October 6, 1946,
Bock; four great-grandchildren; and
she married Owen Voxland. They
made their home in Moorhead, MN, many nieces and nephews.
where they began Voxland Electric
She was preceded in death by her
Company.
husband, Owen, and her six siblings.
Our lost listed by: Name, Age , Date Died, 99th Company
1. Fern Voxland 86 5/31/2011 widow
of 99er Owen Voxland C Co.
2. Martin Solheim 90 7/26/2011 ? Co
3. James L. Humble 91 7/15/2011
B Company
4. Irene Jelleberg 83 9/10/2011 wife
of 99er Lloyd Jelleberg
D Company
Martin Judine
Solheim, the
son of Lewis
and Louise
(Berg) Solheim, was born
October 7,
1920, in Thor,
Iowa. He attended rural schools and
graduated from Eagle Grove High
School in 1938. He entered the US
Army in August 1942, serving with the
99th Infantry Battalion. He was honorably discharged in 1945. Martin received a medal of honor from the
Chief of Defense, Norway, for his contribution to the Norwegian Nation during WWII in June 2011.
On March 29, 1947, Martin was
united in marriage with Doris Wagner
at the Samuel Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove. The couple made their
home on a farm, where they still reside. Martin enjoyed gardening and
raising purebred Duroc hogs and later
miniature horses.
Martin passed away on Tuesday, July
26, 2011, at Rotary Ann Nursing
5. Barney Dragland 88 4/5/2011
D Company
6. John Winters, age 89 10/27/2011
C or B Company
7. Beatrice "Bea" Rystad, 95 10/29/11
Widow of 99er Lt. Dan Rystad
C Company
Home in Eagle Grove, IA at the age of
90 years. He was preceded in death by
his parents.
Survivors include his wife, Doris Solheim of Eagle Grove; two sons,
Ronald Solheim of Eagle Grove and
Mark Solheim of Nashville, TN; two
daughters, Janice Danbom and husband Jim of West Okoboji and Shirley
Meyer and husband Jerry of Humboldt; two grandsons, Bradley Danbom of West Okoboji and Jeffrey Danbom and wife Jennifer of Spirit Lake
and four great-grandchildren: Laveda
and Honorah Danbom and Jace and
Crew Danbom.
Funeral services were held Saturday,
July 30, 2011, 1:30 p.m. at the Samuel
Lutheran Church in Eagle Grove with
Pastor Richard Taylor officiating. Visitation was Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m. at
Foust Funeral Home in Eagle Grove.
Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in
Eagle Grove.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family. The Foust Funeral
Home of Eagle Grove was in charge
of arrangements.
29
James L. Humble 91 Rushford, MN
died Friday July 15, 2011 at Good
Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford. James was born on Sept. 4,
1919, in Bratsberg, Minn., to Lawrence and Elise (Byboth)
Humble. He attended Bratsberg School through the
eighth grade and graduated
from Rushford High School.
After high school, James
worked for Karl Byboth and
Son doing sheet metal work.
He served in the U.S. Army
during WWII. James served
in a separate military battalion (99th
Infantry Battalion, Norwegian Ski
Troops). He served in the European
Theatre, where he was wounded in
the Battle of the Bulge in December
1944. After returning from the war,
James again went to work for Karl
Byboth and Son.
On June 29, 1946, James married
Greta Strand in Oakland, California.
James worked for two years in Thule,
Greenland. While in Thule he worked
on the Dewline early warning radar
system for the U.S. government.
When James returned to Rushford he
purchased a farm which he ran with
his brother Ray from ‗54 to ‗59.
He then worked for Kraning Heating
& Air in Winona for 10 years.
30
James started Humble Manufacturing
Co. in Rushford where he built lick
tanks for cattle, which later evolved
into manufacturing wood stoves and
furnaces. He retired in 1983. In his
retirement James designed and built
lefse rolling machines which are still
in use today at the Norseland Lefse
Factory in Rushford. James always
had a great passion for building cars.
During their retirement, James and
Greta spent many winters in Texas.
He was a member of Rushford Lutheran Church, Rushford American
Legion and Rushford VFW.
James is survived by two sons: Doug
(Lynn) Humble and Lee (Janet) Humble, both of Rushford; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and by
one brother, Ray Humble of Rushford. He was preceded in death by his
parents, wife and sister, Selma Kjos.
There was a memorial service for
James at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, at
Rushford Lutheran Church, with the
Rev. Jan King officiating. Burial was
in the church cemetery. Visitation
was from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Hoff
Funeral and Cremation Service in
Rushford.
The family prefers memorials to
be directed to the Good Shepherd
Foundation.
Leave a memory of James, sign his
online guestbook and view his tribute
video when it becomes available at
www.hofffuneral.com.
Barney (Bjarne) Dragland, age 88, a
resident of Blairstown, New Jersey,
died peacefully at his home April 5,
2011. One of nine children, he was
born on July 22, 1922 in Lyngdal,
Norway, the seventh child of Jakob
and Gulovna (nee Knudsen). He
joined the commercial Norwegian
shipping fleet in Mar 1939 and served
on the M/S Bolla as a seaman and engine specialist. He became a war
sailor when the Norwegian Merchant
Marine was formed following the
1940 German invasion of Norway.
Barney immigrated to the United
States and enlisted in the United
States Army.
He was inducted at Fort Dix, NJ on
Dec. 29, 1942. After training at Camp
Hale, Colorado, he became a member
of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep.),
Company D, a special unit created by
the US War Department comprised of
native born Norwegians or those of
Norwegian heritage and fluent in the
Norwegian language capable of assimilating into the general Norwegian
public and able to conduct military
operations against the Nazis. He was
deployed to Europe where he experienced fierce battles at Ardennes,
Northern France, Normandy, Germany and other sites in Central
Europe. Barney received the European-African-Middle Eastern Service‖
medal and the ―Medal of Good Conduct‖. He was honorably discharged
on Nov 6, 1945 following the
end of the war in Europe.
He continued to reside in New
Jersey as a United States citizen where he met and married
Gloria Beck of Staten Island,
NY. In the years that followed,
they had a daughter, Carol.
Barney became a carpenter and
later specialized in custom
home and building construction throughout exclusive areas of
northern New Jersey. He retired at the
age of 70 as respected businessman
and was regarded as a master craftsman by his peers and clients. He enjoyed the woods and sea, was kind to
animals, and was respectful of the environment.
His wife Gloria of 64 years and
daughter Carol; sisters Alfhild Eikenes
of Lyngdal, Norway, and Synnove
Froysti of Randolph, NJ; and a
nephew Charly Pedersen of Chester,
NJ survive him. His parents; brothers
Andrew, Cornelius and John; and sisters Jenny, Kristina, and Olga of Norway preceded him in death.
Barney was a member of the American Legion, Givens-Belet Post No.
258, in Blairstown, NJ for many years.
He was accorded full military rights,
and following a military chapel service, was interred in the Brigadier
General Wm. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ.
31
Irene Jelleberg, age 83 of Bottineau,
died Saturday in a Bottineau ND hospital. Funeral services were held on
Friday at 10 A.M. at St. Mark‘s Catholic Church in Bottineau. Burial was in
the Oak Creek Cemetery also in Bottineau. A visitation was held on Thursday beginning at 10 A.M. until 9 P.M.,
with a prayer service at 7PM. In the
Nero Funeral Home at Bottineau.
Irene Jelleberg, a daughter of William and Susan Slaybaugh, was born
at Minot on January 18, 1928. She
was reared and educated in Minot
until she moved with her parents to
Bottineau in 1942. Irene graduated
from Bottineau High School and attended NDSF-Bottineau for a short
time. On January 2, 1947 she was
married to Ross McNea at Bottineau.
She began working at Trutna‘s Department Store. Irene then worked at
Newbergers Building Materials for
twenty years, then worked as a secretary at Pride Dairy until she
retired. Ross passed away on
July 28,1987.
On April 15, 1989 she was
married to Lloyd Jelleberg at
Bottineau. They have resided
here since.
32
She was a member of the St.
Mark‘s Catholic Church. Irene
was also a member of the
American Legion Auxiliary and Past
President Parley. She enjoyed her
Bridge Club and Homemakers Club.
In her later years she enjoyed her
Red Hat Club. After Wednesday
Morning Mass she enjoyed baking
and visiting with her friends. Irene‘s
greatest joy was traveling with or
watching the Twins baseball with
Lloyd.
She is survived by her husband
Lloyd of Bottineau; a daughter,
Diane (Reggie) Myhr of Bottineau;
sister, Myrna (Royce) Tuckness of
Carson City, NV; stepdaughters,
Judy (Gary Steffens of Nevada City,
CA and Joan Bertram of Bottineau; a
step-son John Jelleberg of Grass Valley, CA; 9 grandchildren and 10
great-grandchildren.
Irene was preceded in death by her
parents; husband Ross McNea; and a
stepdaughter, Jeannie (Jelleberg)
Johnson.
John M. Winters, age 89, of Vero
Beach, FL, died at his home on
Thursday, October 27, 2011. He was
born in Quincy, Illinois on January
14, 1922. His parents were N.
McCullough and Irma B. Winters. He
was educated in the Quincy public
schools and graduated from Quincy
High School, Valley Forge Military
Academy, and the University of
Michigan John enlisted in the US
Army Infantry shortly after the attack
on Pearl Harbor, and served 4 ½
years in the USA and European
Theater. He was discharged with the
rank of Captain. After the
war, John joined his father and twin
brother in the family firm, J.
M. Winters and Son, a general insurance agency founded by his grandfather, John M. Winters. He retired in
1985 as president. In January,
1951, John married Jane Stillwell in
Saint John's Episcopal Church,
Quincy. In 1973, they visited Vero
Beach, and purchased a home when
he retired, moving permanently to
Vero Beach. While in Quincy,
John served on several boards.
Among them, were the Blessing
House Board of Trustees for twenty
years, serving as president for three;
the Mercantile Trust and Savings
Bank for twenty years; and the Board
of Directors of the Stillwell Foundation. In 1988, Mr. and Mrs. Winters,
along with nine others, founded Saint
Mark's Anglican Church in Vero
Beach, where he was
a member. John is
survived by his wife
of sixty years, Jane,
and several nieces
and nephews. He was
preceded in death by
their daughter, Kathryn N. Winters; his
parents; a sister, Ann
W. Wooleyhan; and
his twin brother,
Richard M. Winters.
A Burial Office will
be said at 10:00am on
Wednesday, November 2, at Saint
Mark's Anglican Church, located at
1795 45th Street, Vero Beach. Entombment following the Service will
be private. In lieu of flowers, Contributions as a Memorial may be made
to Saint Mark's Anglican Church, PO
Box #6994, Vero Beach, FL 329616994. Arrangements by the Strunk
Funeral Home and Crematory of
Vero Beach. An Online Guestbook
is available at:
www.strunkfuneralhome.com
33
She is survived by her children,
Nancy (Ray) Lacina, Owatonna,
MN; Kathleen Strong, Richfield,
MN; John (Betty) Rystad, Bloomington, MN; six grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Bea's Memorial Service was held at
2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, in the Minnesota Masonic Home, Bloomington.
The Online guestbook is
at www.wrightfuneral.com.
Beatrice "Bea" Rystad, 95
Widow of 99er Lt. Dan Rystad of C
Company died: Saturday, October
29, 2011, in Minnesota Masonic
Home, Bloomington, MN
Bea Rystad was born on March 3,
1916 in East Grand Forks, MN. She
married Daniel R. Rystad, from
Fisher, MN, in 1941. They raised
three children together in Moorhead
until Dan's death in 1959. She taught
home economics and science at
South Junior High in Moorhead, and
home management and family economics at NDSU and Concordia College. Upon her retirement she shared
time in Green Valley, AZ, and her
lake home near Richwood, MN. Her
life reflected her love of people, nature, learning, and the arts. She told
her children, "It is not what happens
to you in life, but what you do with
what happens to you."
34
Norwegian
Veteran Dies
During Visit to
United States
His memorial service at the Norwegian
embassy by the Norwegian Chaplin
Cecilie Jørgensen Strømmen.
A sad loss occurred during the
Medal ceremonies in Washington
DC. The Norwegian World War II
veteran Thor Treider, who joined
Norwegian officials and members
of Norway's military in coming to
honor members of our Norwegian/
American 99th Infantry Battalion
(Separate), became ill and died
during his visit.
Conscript Captain Thor Treider
died May 31, 2011 participating in
the Norway U.S. veteran exchange
in Washington. Thor participated
as a volunteer in the Winter War
in 1939, as a sergeant in 1940 in
the battle of Fossum section, he
participated in Germany Brigade,
and he had two periods of service
in the Korean War in 1951 before
settling in a job abroad in shipping. He lived with his wife Aase
Treider in Ringerike, Norway.
35
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At 99th's Colonel
Harold D. Hansen‟s
grave Tribute &
Wreath Laying
with top of cap
salute and silence
May 26, 2011
Church peace prayer: Almighty,
eternal God! You can bend people's
hearts, we pray: Help and appreciation
all those who today have the great
responsibility for the cause of peace in
the world. Bring in your mighty hand
the nations' leaders, turn their hearts to
you and give them power in the fight
against evil. Give peace on earth, and
help your church to promote peace
between nations. Guard our country
against war and discord, and let's build
and live in this our beloved country
that you have given us. Bless our king
and his house, and give visdon to all
who have mydnighet and
responsibilities in society. Help us
serve you faithfully, and with all
nations on earth to stand firm in the
battle against evil. By Jesus Christ,
your beloved son, our Here! Amen.
Blessing: The Lord bless and keep
you, the Lord make his face shine
upon you and be gracious to you, the
Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.
Tribute Harold
Dietrich Hansen,
99th Battalion
Some years ago
there was a popular
song called "where
are all the heroes".
We have many
more heroes among
us than we realize.
But it's strange that
it takes such a long
time to honor
people for the effort
they did for us
nearly 60 years ago. I've heard about
some of these soldiers, but did not
know the depth of what they
represented and what efforts they
are behind.
Battalion 99 was something for
themselves, something we do well to
learn about and have every reason to be
proud of! President Roosevelt decided
to build ethnic battalions that would
work behind enemy lines, including a
Norwegian ski battalion that would be
to defeat the German invaders in
Norway. The soldiers were recruited
among Norwegian-Americans from the
Midwest and Norwegian sailors from
the fleet ships. They had 2 years of hard
preparatory training cycle infantry
training in Minnesota, further training
in Minneapolis and winter training in
Colorado.
Norwegian Chaplin
Cecilie Jørgensen
37
The aim was thus to come to Norway.
First stop was an intermediate station
in Great Britain, but where was the
counter-notice being asked to
participate in the Normandy landings.
They moved further towards the
Seine, across the Belgian border and
was also commissioned to clear the
front section on Germany, and
crossed the border October 13, 1944
at Marienburg and Aachen.
There were many tough games, tough
skirmishes and outright street battles.
They were in the forefront for ten
days to keep a grip. They were then
withdrawn from the front line to
Partuljere, Ardennes. This was fine
until the Germans launched the last
major counteroffensive, precisely in
this landscape. Which led to both the
equality of war and bloody close
combat. In January they will be taken
to France and then sent back to
Germany for the cleanup in April.
Shortly before the capitulation was
the final go-ahead to go to Norway,
where they were from June to
October 1945. Their mission was to
disarm German soldiers who had
guns and keep watch over the SS men
and war criminals. They were also
taken to be honor guards for the king
when he came back. They were a
popular feature in the street, not least
because they spoke Norwegian!
38
The man who was to lead this
particular group was Harold Dietrich
Hansen who was born in Ohio but
had parts of their childhood at Fevik
between Grimstad and Arendal,
where his family ran the boat
‗Construction‘. He received his
education at Western Maryland
College and also completed officer
training and was linked to 77 Infantry
Division in NY, drove bread car in
Brooklyn and was a Norwegian
environment there.
I think that with all due respect it is
possible to say that he at least in the
early years, must have been a
rabbagast (no translation) who used
both courage and wits to defeat the
enemy. He was known under the
nickname "bull", was a versatile
athlete and was both daring and
perhaps had foolhardiness, which
caused various raids of the roost
because of his big appetite for eggs at
the war front (shows OR areas).
Amazingly enough he survived all the
war actions he was in. In the middle
of October 44 while they were
outside Aachen he got a splinter in
the heel, but threaded only a sock
over the wound and continued
management or command of the
company. For this he received the
Purple Heart.
He is described as a man who put
great demands on his soldiers, hard
against those who failed to deliver
and very positive to those who did a
good job. He was very respected and
well liked by his soldiers and officers.
Lieutenant Colonel Hansen returned
to Oslo in 1949 as the U.S. defense
attaché in 2 years.
He died early of cancer, only 45 years
old. He was buried with full honors.
We remember with pride Battalion
99, for their effort and sacrifice, and
lit up over Harold Smith and his
soldiers' memory.
Scripture Reading and memento
What should one read at such an
occasion? For such courage and selfsacrifice? What is it that can carry us
through all sorts of days? Listen to
this from Ecclesiastes in the Old
Testament:
“To every [thing there is] a season,
and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: A time to be born, and a time
to die; a time to plant, and a time to
pluck up [that which is] planted; A
time to kill, and a time to heal; a time
to break down, and a time to build
up; A time to weep, and a time to
laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to
dance; A time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together; a
time to embrace, and a time to refrain
from embracing; A time to get, and a
time to lose: a time to keep, and a
time to cast away.
A time to tear, one to remedy, a time
to remain silent, a time to speak; a
time to love, a time to hate, a time for
war and for peace.
It's about seizing the day, and know
that we are not alone where we are.
But how do we know it?
The prophet Isaiah says: the Lord's
gracious invitation;
Listen, everyone who thirsts, come
here and get the water! Come, you
who do not have the money! Buy
grains, so you can eat, yes, come and
buy without money, without price
wine and milk! Seek the Lord while
he may be found, call on him while
he is near! Let the wicked forsake his
way also and the wicked man
abandon their thoughts and return to
the Lord, He will show mercy, to our
God, for He is full of forgiveness.
For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, and their ways are not my
ways, declares the Lord. As the
heavens are higher than the earth, are
my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts higher than your
thoughts.
Amen
39
A Historical
Look at
the 99th
Infantry
Battalion
(Separate)
40
The 99th Infantry Battalion
(Separate) was activated at Camp
Ripley, Minn. On July 19, 1942, per
written instructions by the War
Department. This unique, elite unit
was to consist only of Norwegians
and Americans of direct Norwegian
descent. To be selected for the unit,
soldiers were required to have a
working knowledge of the
Norwegian language, and soldiers
who knew how to ski were also
preferred. The group received further
training at Camp Hale, Colo. The
unit was formed with an eye toward
a possible invasion and liberation of
Norway, but it first saw combat
action in France, Belgium and
Germany before being implemented
into the 474th Infantry Regiment and
sent to Norway in June 1945 to
disarm the German occupational
force. The Battalion also contributed
personnel to OSS Operation RYPE
(often referred to as NORSO), which
was an airborne, top secret
commando mission into Northern
Trøndelag toward the end of the war.
The Battalion served as King Haakon
VII‘s honor guard upon the King‘s
return to Norway on June 7, 1945,
after five years in exile. To date, the
99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) is
the only unit of the U.S. Army with a
pure Norwegian history. It is truly
unique and an important part of the
joint history of Norway and the U.S.
Remembering the 99th
Shared memories
of the NorwegianAmerican 99th
Infantry Battalion
Special Release Roy A. Everson
May 21, 2010 Issue
Photo courtesy of Lillian Gjertsen
Members of the 99th Infantry
Battalion in an undated photo.
Editor’s Note: This was shared with
us by Lillian Gjertsen, wife of the late
Finn Gjertsen. Finn served in the
99th Infantry Battalion, which was
inducted into the Scandinavian Hall
of Fame at the 1989 Norsk Høstfest.
This article revived memories and an
appreciation for their history. In
honor of the 65th anniversary of the
Norwegian liberation on May 8, we
thought this would be interesting to
share with our readers.
A special chapter in the history of
Norwegian-American relations is the
99th Infantry Battalion, the Viking
battalion — 1,001 men of Norwegian
ancestry assembled in 1942 to train
for a possible invasion of Nazioccupied Norway. The invasion never
happened. Instead, the battalion‘s
three-year history included rigorous
ski-combat training in Colorado and
Britain, exhaustive and costly
fighting in some of the landmark
battles of the European theater, and a
four-month friendly occupation of
post-war Norway.
When it was all over, only half of the
original members remained— the rest
were either unable to withstand the
training or were war casualties. As a
unit, they were inspected by President
Roosevelt, won plaudits from
Generals Omar Bradley and Dwight
Eisenhower, and were later used in an
honor guard for the return of
Norway‘s King Haakon.
Chosen for a special, secretive
purpose, the 99th was the only ethnic
battalion in the U.S. Army except for
an all-Japanese-American unit that
fought in Europe. The original 99ers
weren‘t all Norwegian-Americans.
Many were Norwegian merchant
marines who were at sea when the
(cont’d page 42)
41
Minot, N.D. The Hall of Fame
includes such luminaries as author
O.E. Rolvaag, Vice President Walter
Mondale, and sports legend Knut
Rockne. Accepting the honor for the
battalion was 99er Olaf Haaland.
They don‘t dwell on their achievements - but they don‘t want their
legacy to be forgotten either. As
battalion historian Morten Tuftedahl
said about preserving their heritage:
―If we don‘t do it now, then who‘s
going to do it?‖
Men of the 99th
training on a 17mile trail day in
March Camp Hale,
Colo.
42
Germans invaded in 1940, or
Norwegians who fled their homeland
and eventually found themselves in
the U.S. Army. Still others, they
jokingly acknowledge years later,
were Swedish-Americans trying to
pass themselves off as Norwegians.
Prodding veterans to write about war
experiences is not easy when it forces
one to conjure up memories of hell.
To relive the horrors of the snipers in
Cherbourg, the Malmedy Massacre,
Battle of Elbeuf, and Nazi death
camps is not as relaxing as a nine
holes of golf or an evening of
These factors of common history,
television. Indeed, the 99er‘s
secretive training, and experiencing
the hardships and horrors of war drew nostalgia is more likely to stem from
ski training at Camp Hale, being
the men of the 99th so closely
toasted by Scandinavian culture
together that they have had 44
groups while at Fort Snelling near
reunions (now in 2011 there have
been reunions in each and every year Minneapolis, drinking the local ale in
Wales, or celebrating peace with
beginning in 1945 making this the
67th year.) since peace was declared. exuberant Norwegians in Oslo.
―We were like brothers,‖ said one of
Still, humor crops up in many
the vets, John Magnusson.
unlikely situations. Many of the
In 1989, the 99th Battalion was
among the inductees to the
Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame
at the annual Norsk Høstfest in
Norwegian nationals didn‘t speak
English when they joined. At first, the
Army tolerated its soldiers with
speaking a language that sounded
Photo from Roy
Carlson: Part of
the anti-tank
platoon of HQ
Company in
Belgium 1944.
similar to German. But later, Norwegians and Americans were ordered to
speak English, a necessity when
attached to other units near the front
lines. The 99th‘s poet, Yngvar
Stensby, recorded this incident of
soldiers trying to dig a trench in
France after the D-Day invasion:
―Exasperated over the lack of
progress, some of the men resorted
to verbal tirades to vent their ire.
Momentarily forgetting where they
were, they salted their commentaries
with Norwegian profanity. That led
to the natural desire to speak
Norwegian amongst themselves.‖
―Noting unusual activity in its midst,
the 2nd Armored Division sent a
recon patrol to investigate. As the
area between Domfront and Alencon
to the east was still in danger of
German attack, the strange jabbering
on the hill was suspected to be that
of Krauts who had wandered into the
Division‘s front yard. They lost no
time relaying the information to
Division Headquarters.‖
―Within minutes, every artillery
piece within range had zeroed in on
the terrain manned by the 99th. Then
at a most opportune time, the recons
heard someone rip into a tirade of
profanity such as only a Yank could
muster. After the 99th had been
identified, an officer asked: ‗Where
the hell did you guys come from?
You sounded just like a bunch of
damn Krauts!‘ The incident of near
annihilation of the 99th throttled the
habit of talking Norwegian in a
combat zone!‖
43
Remembering the 99th - Shared
memories of the NorwegianAmerican 99th Infantry Battalion
Special Release Roy A. Everson
May 28, 2010 Issue
The prospect of liberating Norway
was the attraction, the purpose of the
99th. It was the preferred strategy of
Winston Churchill. But when Army
Intelligence determined that the
Germans had over 300,000 troops in
Norway, the Prime Minister relented.
―That really saved our necks,‖ said
99er Arnold Everson of Minnesota.
―The invasion could have been a
suicide mission.‖
Photo courtesy of
Lillian Gjertsen
The streets were
lined with people
in Oslo.
44
Rather than invade Norway, the 99th
fought through France, Belgium, and
Germany to the war‘s end in April
1945. Their long-awaited trek to
Norway occurred in early June, when
most of their American comrades in
Europe were headed back home.
―We missed all of the hoop-de-doo
back in the States,‖ said 99er
Everson, ―but we got enough of a
royal welcome when we got to
Norway.‖
With so many Nazi soldiers
garrisoned in Norway — one German
for every 10 Norwegians — it took a
special Allied task force to root out
the enemy. It included a British
division in central Norway and an
American regiment— in 474th— in
the south. The 99th, back to full
strength with the addition of
replacement troops, comprised one of
the 474th‘s three battalions and was
assigned to the Smestad Camp on the
edge of Oslo. First Lieutenant
Norman Berg of Washington State,
one of the original 99ers, was
separated from the outfit after being
wounded at Elbeuf and then
hospitalized for nine months. Having
family in Norway, he wanted to
return to the 99th. He became a
liaison officer among all British and
American forces going to Norway.
Berg and five Norwegian resistance
fighters were in charge of cleaning
out a German camp at Drammen,
Members of the 99th Battalion lined up as King Haakon VII’s Honor Guard upon
his arrival to Oslo. (Photo courtesy of Lillian Gjertsen)
forcing 3,300 prisoners to do the
work. At first, the Germans were
disrespectful, trying to sneak out
items such as toilet paper and soap.
Berg made it clear that he required
more respect than they gave their
own commanders.
―They clicked their heels together and
acted like robots. After that, I had no
trouble with those guys,‖ Berg said.
There weren‘t enough rags for the
job, but a big stack of Swastika flags
was available. ―We used the Swastika
flags to scrub with,‖ Berg recalls.
The Allies found stores of furniture
to furnish officer headquarters in
Oslo and, Berg recalls with a twinkle,
vast supplies of liquor— the best
cognacs, liquors, and champagne
from France— which the Germans
had shipped to Norway. ―A big GI
truck came once a week, filled to the
brim(with liquor). It didn‘t take long
to find out what were the best
vintages.‖
The 99ers received ―royal treatment‖
in Norway. ―It was the best duty any
GI ever had,‖ said
Berg. ―You couldn‘t sit down on a
park bench on Karl Johan because
they‘d all come over and want to
speak English.‖ They were impressed
to find Yankee soldiers who spoke
Norwegian. A non-Norwegian 99er,
Bernard Weatherby of New York,
said, ―They loved us. They called us
in to have dinner with them on the
weekends.‖
45
With the horrors of combat behind
them, the Nazis tamed and with the
war winding down in the Pacific, duty
in Norway was like a long party, with
military regulations bent quite a bit.
For some 99ers, it was a time to meet
distant cousins. Norway had waited
years for the Allies, especially
Americans, to arrive. Those contacted
by the GIs they were related to show
their Special appreciation. Some
relationships developed that have
continued and grown through
subsequent generations, even when the
family connection is quite distant.
Berg, with access to food denied to
Norwegians during the war, would
deliver good to his relatives in
Trondheim, including young children
who had never known such wonders
existed. ―I went to my father‘s home
with three cans of peaches. Those kids
tasted peaches for the first time in their
lives. You couldn‘t have given them
anything that tasted better than that.‖
46
For several 99ers, the stay in Norway
had an unexpected, extremely vital
impact on their lives— they got
married. A young woman named
Magna was working as a sales clerk in
a gift shop on Klingenbergveien when
liberation came. ―You cannot describe
how that feeling was,‖ she says. She
was there for the return of King
Haakon from England in June, with
99ers among his honor guard, and
when the GIs paraded on July 4.
Among the 99ers was her first cousin,
Edvart, who introduced her to a lot of
―lovely Americans,‖ including Staff
Sgt. Julian Flaaten of Minnesota.
―We went out and had good times,‖
she said. Julian recalls anti-Quisling
songs were popular. Among the social
events was a boat trip which included
99ers and local young ladies.
The Flaatens married in September
and moved to America a year later.
Magna was aware of many other
weddings between 99ers and
Norwegian women. ―The whole
bunch are really nice girls who went
to America.‖
But the cruel irony of war is that, just
as humor arises from combat, tragedy
can occur at any time.
Sid Thorsen, born and raised in
Norway, one of the seamen who
ended up in the 99th, survived the
war to be among the native
Norwegians who enjoyed wonderful
reunion with their families. But he
was killed in a jeep accident while
still serving in the Army.
Thorsen, and hundreds of others from
the 99th who died during and since
the war, are fondly remembered by
their comrades. Men who rarely shed
tears became moist eyed and quiet
during their traditional moments of
silence.
Monument
dedicated
to the 99th
Infantry
Battalion in
Colorado.
(Photo courtesy
of Lillian Gjertsen)
King Haakon VII and the Royal Family return to Oslo on June 7, 1945.
(Photo courtesy of Lillian Gjertsen)
47
The Legacy
A poem by Yngvar Stensby Company “A”
Written in commemoration of the 40th reunion of the
99th Infantry Battalion in Denver, Colo. Aug. 22-25, 1985
Beneath the Colorado sky I breathe a deep and fervent sigh,
as fond reflections quickly reappear.
I have no need to justify emotions, as they beautify
the sentimental moods of yesteryear.
I feel the calm serenity of rugged mountain majesty
revitalizing heart and soul anew.
And in my mind again I see the 99th in reverie,
as though the past were marching in review.
I hear the piercing bugle calls reverberating off the walls,
of solid rock that cradled our Camp Hale.
I visualize the water falls that come each year as spring installs
its wonderment of change o‘er hill and dale.
I traveled well-known trails today, until a clearing showed the way
toward the Shrine I came again to see.
Beyond the trees that gently sway, I felt the streams and mountain say:
―This ground be hallowed through Eternity!‖
A tribute be glorified, the Monument inspires pride
befitting of our unit‘s history.
And on this weathered mountain side we honor all who now abide
in everlasting peace and harmony.
Around the Monument I lay my wreaths of love, thus to convey
profound respect that prompts this apt refrain:
May ceremonies on this day inspire us to humbly pray
their sacrifices shall not be in vain!
My heart again begins to weep for comrades in Eternal Sleep;
it matters not the country where they lie.
The lasting peace they fought to reap becomes our legacy to keep—
a sacred trust until the day we die!
Two Monuments near Cooper Hill depict the patriotic will
that won the peace of forty years ago.
Thus freedom-loving people thrill to hear the stirring codicil:
―May Freedom‘s Torch forever brightly glow!‖
48
Battle of the Bulge Malmedy Arial View
The following
photos on
pages 47-49
are from the
30th Division
Website of
Malmedy
where the
99th fought
in the Battle
of the Bulge
Two views Malmedy after the three repeated bombings by US Army Air Corps
Moving the wounded on a sled.
49
Winter march in the snow
Ardennes Winter
Road
50
The make shift camouflage made from bed sheets in Malmedy
Looking Southwest at
Baugnez called Five Points.
Philip Vorwald states: "Mounted up in jeeps
and ready to move out, elements of the 30th
Infantry Division assemble in the heart of
Malmedy. This is the same narrow street
corner in Malmedy at the intersection of the
Rue de al Gare, with the Place du Commerce,
looking east." In the Battle of the Bulge: Then
and Now by Jean Paul Pallud the same photo
description states: "This is the route towards
the location of the incident for which the
name of Malmedy will forever by linked. This
convoy from the 30th Division heads east on
the rue de la Gare towards the N32." Actual
US Army photo description states the date as
January 2nd, 1945.
Jeep with street wire snapper in front.
51
A Statue of Crown Princess Märtha, wife
of King Olav V, stands outside the front
door of the Norwegian Embassy residence
in Washington DC.
She and the children lived here while in
exile during World War II.
Initially she, Princesses Ragnhild and
Astrid and Crown Prince Harald (now
King Harald V) stayed in the white house
with President Roosevelt's family until
lodging could be arranged for the royal
family.
Crown Princess Märtha and her three
children crossed the border into Sweden
on the night of 9 April 1940. They stayed
with her Swedish family until 12 August,
when they traveled to the USA at the
invitation of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Her friendship with the US
president and his wife opened doors for
the Crown Princess, who worked
assiduously to promote Norwegian
interests while living in the USA until the
end of the war. This friendship with the
Roosevelt's originated when in 1939
Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess
conducted a comprehensive tour of the
USA. During that journey they had made
the acquaintance of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, thus laying the foundation for a
long-lasting friendship.
52
99ers who are in the
U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Hall of Fame
LINK www.skihall.org
99er James R. Hendrickson
(deceased)
Year Inducted: 1971 National Ski
Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, MI.
Born: 1913 , Eau Claire, WI
Died: January 18,1948 Chicao, IL
James ―Jimmy‖ Hendrickson, born of
Norwegian parents, was an all-round
athlete from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He
began skiing at the age of six, entered
his first competition at ageseven, and
was in jumping exhibitions around the
country when he was nine holding the
distinction of begin the nation‘s youngest ski jumper. In those days, he was
jumping upwards of 100 feet.
As a sixteen-year-old, he entered the
1929 National Ski Association meet at
St. Paul, Minnesota and out-jumped all
other competitors. He was Class B National Champion in 1934 and won the
Central and Far West Ski Association
titles in 1935 and‘36. He performed
well as a member of the American
Olympic Jumping Team in 1936, placing sixth overall in special jumping.
After surviving heavy combat duty in
Europe during WWII, he was killed
participating in his favorite sport, ski
jumping. His fatal accident occurred on his second jump at
Norge Hill near Chicago when
he fell on the flats after a nearperfect ride, was hit in the head
by his ski, and knocked unconscious. He never recovered and
died several hours later at the
Norwegian-American Hospital,
Chicago. Editor added: Jimmy was a
1936 Member of U.S. Olympic Ski
Team at Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany, placing 6th in special jumping.
1942 Joined U.S. Army, trained at
Camp Hale, CO, fought on Omaha
Beach after D-Day, at Cherbourg and at
the Battle of the Bulge. Escaped with
fellow comrades by stealing skis from
the Germans.
James R.
Hendrickson
LINK www.intergarten.com
Roy J. (Ragnavald Johan) Mikkelsen
(deceased)
Roy Mickelson
Year Inducted: 1964
Born: 09/15/1907 Konigsberg, NOR
Died: 10/29/1967 Auburn, CA
Roy Mikkelsen immigrated to the
United states in 1924 and soon thereafter joined the Norge Ski Club in Chicago. As a ski jumper he held national
titles in 1933 and 1935 and competed
for his adopted country at the 1932
and 1936 Olympic Games. He also
became a strong alpine skier.
(cont’d next page)
53
He fought for the famed NorwegianAmerican 99th Battalion during
World War II, an all Norwegian
speaking special separate unit.
ing. ―I guess we can‘t stretch the
jumps too long here,‖ he said, ―You
might land down in the Berkeley
shopping district.‖
After moving to California he was
active in civic affairs and was one of
the prime movers that successfully
brought the Olympic Winter Games
to Squaw Valley in 1960.
See a YouTube 1935 video of Roy
wearing 7 and other jumper at Berkley Ski Tournament in 1935. [ LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IPA9I13Kxbs ]
Editors note & added article: Roy
Mikkelsen‘s jump of 226 feet was the
longest of any American in the 1932
Olympics. Roy was the U.S. Champion in both 1933 with jumps of 138
and 141 ft.; at Salisbury, Conn. and in
1935. Roy was rated among the nation's top downhill and slalom competitors from 1933 – 1942. He also
competed in the 1936 Olympics.
What might Roy have done in the
1940 Olympics if not for Hitler and
U.S. Champion Roy Mikkelsen uncorks a
World War II.
spectacular jump at Berkeley circa 1935.
54
The popular skier and former U.S. ski Photo courtesy Author Mark McLaughchampion Roy Mikkelsen of Auburn lin's Collection LINK to article http://
took first place with a soaring leap of www.sierrasun.com/article/20081103/
139 feet followed by a perfect teleIn the video on YouTube, watch for
mark landing. Mikkelsen had immithe hard right turn at bottom of the
grated from Norway in 1924 and acjump run out. Quote the Videos capquired U.S. citizenship in 1932, the
tion ―This film was shot by Eugene
same year he entered and won the
D. Sellers of Berkely, CA in January
National Ski Jumping Championship 1935. It shows scenes from the Auheld at Lake Tahoe‘s Olympic Hill.
burn Ski Club sponsored Ski Jump
The gifted and good-natured Mikkel- Competition near the UC Berkeley
sen laughed after skiing into the enCampus. Six box cars of snow were
croaching crowds following his land- imported from the Sierras in order to
cover the jumping venue. This was
the second attempt by the club to hold
this event. The first was cut short by a
rioting crowd who seemed bent on
having a snowball fight.‖
Editor: Roy won the 1935 National
Ski Jump championship at Canton,
SD a small town a few miles south of
Sioux Falls where I live. A first
cousin, my father 99er Harold K.
Hanson and his older brother Clifford
[who you read about a couple years
ago in Harold's letters home to a first
cousin. [Cliff was the Marine who
fought on Iwo Jima in Feb. & Mar.
1945 and in his entire company was
one of only 17 not killed or wounded]
were present and watched the competition. I do not think that my dad ever
knew that the winner he saw in 1935
later became a 99er.
From the MONDAY. FEBRUARY 2,
1942 -THE EVENING NEWS that
served Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, NY Salisbury, Mills, N. Y.
(UP) —-Torger Tokle, national ski
jumping champion, suffered his
fourth defeat in 39 starts yesterday
when Ola, a member of the Norwegian air force stationed srt Toronto,
Canada., won the title event at the
Eastern Ski jumping championships.
Ola, who has been in Canada for one
month and is competing under that
name for personal reasons, jumped
153 and 148 feet to gain a point
standing of 229.4, compared with
228.6 for Tokle who jumped 153 and
160. Arthur Devlin of Lake Placid,
New York state champion, finished
third with 216.8. Ove Bjelland of
New York, won.
[Ove is a 99er and our last living Ski
Jump Champ. His home is in Florida]
55
Online 99th photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5796412952/sizes/l/in/photostream/ 99er Christian
Brun interviewed by Norwegian soldier. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World
War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (235). http://www.flickr.com/photos/
avatar1/5794778037/in/photostream/ 99er Robert Snodgrass between Gary Sinise and four
star General Harald Sunde, Chief of Defense, Norway. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (222).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5791795335/in/photostream/ 99er Robert Bjorgum
placing the wreath with General Sunde. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World
War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (170). http://www.flickr.com/photos/
avatar1/5792110194/in/photostream/ Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff monument behind. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial,
Mon 30 May 2011 (148).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5791108803/in/photostream/General Harald Sunde,
Chief of Defense, Norway. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (75).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5787960815/in/photostream/ Medal of Honor Recipient, Cpt Thomas J Hudner, USN Ret Caption: Memorial Day At The National World
War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (50).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5788253455/in/photostream/ Medal of Honor Recipient, Col Roger H.C. Donlon, USA Ret. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World
War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (51)
The two medal of honor winners present at ceremonies.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5788308442/in/photostream/
Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (29).
Closeup Robert Snodgrass Veteran, 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5787751129/in/photostream/
Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (28)
Closeup Hadley JensonVeteran, 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5787750455/in/photostream/
Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (27)
Hadley & Snodgrass Veterans, 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5788505512/
Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (32)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5788507344/
Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30 May 2011 (35)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5787742073/in/photostream/ Close-up Robert
Bjorgum 99er. Caption: Memorial Day At The National World War II Memorial, Mon 30
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/5784231710/in/photostream/
Medal of Honor grave Arlington National cemetery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cashasa/3159814577/
Norse speaking Rangers 'Get Tough' at Fort Snelling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cashasa/3161871075/Husky Tow-Heads Toss Hand Grenades
56